Out of Character
by Tune4Toons
Summary: Maybe Chiyo should've helped Kashima with her Halloween costume yesterday.


_Tune4Toons: I really need to work on my humour writing haha. Happy Birthday Kashima! Yeah!_

* * *

><p>Maybe Chiyo should've helped Kashima with her Halloween costume yesterday. Granted, that would've meant she'd have to skip helping Nozaki go costume shopping, but she would've helped Kashima if it meant preventing…<p>

"Chiyo-chan!" Kashima waves as she walked over to Chiyo on her knees. "Happy Halloween!"

…That.

"K-kashima-kun," Chiyo stuttered. Never in her life did Chiyo expect to have Kashima look _up_ to talk to her, let alone seeing her tuffs of spiky brown hair instead of the usual stark-blue. "What kind of costume is that?"

Kashima laughed, scratching the back of her head. "You like? I'm Hori-senpai! Wig's a little itchy, but everything looks so much bigger from down here. So this is what it's like at senpai's height."

_That's not even how tall Hori is_. But it wasn't just the hair or the height—Kashima was wearing a _dress_ fluttering above her knees. "Hori will kill you if he sees this."

Kashima grinned. "What are you talking about, Chiyo? He's gonna love it! I'm expressing the inner princess he's always wished to be."

But just watching Kashima adjust the squashed shoes sitting beneath her knees made Chiyo think otherwise.

"By the way, nice costume, Chiyo! Are you supposed to be Alice from Wonderland?"

She smiled. "Yup. Threw it together last minute too, but better than what Nozaki wanted me to wear yesterday…" She tried to shake the image out of her head. A tail, bunny ears, stilettos and stockings—even a swimsuit-esque one piece all to be a Mamiko reference.

"I'll help you look for Nozaki if you'll help me find Hori-senpai."

Chiyo choked. "Maybe letting Hori see you like this isn't a good—"

Then Kashima stood up on her feet and grabbed her shoes. Before Chiyo could protest, Kashima also swiped her hand, "Come on, Chiyo!" and ran her across the hall, dragging her behind.

However the entire way up the stairs, Chiyo couldn't help but wonder where Kashima's usual crowd of fangirls were. A quick peek over her shoulder and she spotted a girl or two glancing their direction, but not approaching—only blushing and whispering as they passed by. Kashima wasn't walking on her knees anymore, but the spiky wig still made her a brunette. And the dress! Kashima in a dress!

But the floor above told a different story. Girls in all sorts of costumes barricaded half the hall in squeals, backs turned to Chiyo and Kashima. Wings tried to shove past staffs. Maid skirts tangled with belt chains. A blue head poking its way through the crowd and the girls making way. Maybe Mikorin got caught in there too, Chiyo thought. She shook off Kashima's grasp to approach the crowd.

But the sole tall figure in the crowd didn't have red hair. No, the figure stepped out into the open in a navy prince's garb, spotting Chiyo as he swiped off any glint of sweat in his blue hair—

_No, it's a wig! _Chiyo's breath hitched. "Hori?" And since when was he a head taller than her?

"Ah, Chiyo, nice costume. Are you dressed as a princess?" But then he brought his face closer to hers, smiling as he cupped her cheek. "Because you look even more beautiful by the day."

And she stumbled back, her entire face heated up. She swore Hori's face sparkled just then.

Chiyo turned to Kashima, who stood there bouncing on her toes. "Senpai, senpai! Are you supposed to be me?"

The moment Hori glanced Kashima's way, Chiyo spotted his eye twitch for a split second before he switched back to a calm, smiling face. _He's trying so hard to stay in character…_ Chiyo chuckled.

Until Hori stumbled forward and his pants slipped just up high enough for Chiyo to see his shoes, or rather— _P-pumps? _

Plus he frowned upon standing in front of Kashima. Even though he had the extra height, Kashima still held a couple inches over him despite having her shoes off.

"Figures," Hori muttered, but took Kashima's free hand and brought it to his lips—back into character, Chiyo thought as she watched. "How rare to see your inner beauty blossom in the open." Then he planted a kiss on the back of her palm. "And who might you be dressed as today, my fair maiden?"

"My beloved kouhai, today I'm your wonderful Hori-senpai," Kashima said. "I've made all your dreams of being a princess come true. Do you like it?"

Hori froze. Chiyo swallowed, watching Hori's hand twitching—fighting to either clench into a fist or keep in character.

"Ah, Hori looks taller today," a deep voice said behind Chiyo.

"Nozaki-kun?" Chiyo said, turning around. "I think you may need to separate Hori and Kashima for—aaaahhhh?"

There Nozaki stood in the very bunny costume he tried to get Chiyo to wear yesterday.

She stuttered, "W-why the s-stilettos? What about y-your pants?"

"Never seen Kashima in a dress before," Nozaki said instead. "The brown hair's weird though."

She glanced at Kashima patting Hori's back and calling him her beloved kouhai even though his tensed body looked ready to attack at any notice.

But soon Hori cracked, voice spilling throughout the halls.

"Kashima!"

Then Chiyo looked back at Nozaki in his stocking legs, fluffy tail, and long ears—who'd been writing everything down since who knows when.

Yeah, she should've helped _both_ Nozaki and Kashima pick out their costumes yesterday.


End file.
